Olbermann Out At MSNBC

Keith Olbermann, MSNBC's best-known anchor and lighteningrod broadcast his final show on the network Friday.

In an on-air farewell on Countdown, Olbermann said he had been told that this was his lastshow, which might indicate he'd been fired by NBC Universal, which hadsuspended him in November for making campaign donations to Democrats. But healso said there had been times that "all that surrounded the show . . . were toomuch for me."

The reason for the departure was not immediately clear. "MSNBC and KeithOlbermann have ended their contract," said the network in a statementreleased as Olbermann went off the air. "MSNBC thanks Keith for hisintegral role in MSNBC's success and we wish him well in his futureendeavors."

NBCU this week moved a step closer to being controlled by Comcast Corp., withthe FCC approving the cable giant's transaction with General Electric, NBCU'scurrent owner. The deal is expected to be finalized Jan. 28.

One insider said that Comcast was informed of the deal made to terminateOlbermann's contract before it was announced, but that it was not involvedin the decision.

Comcast spokeswoman SenaFitzmaurice confirmed: "Comcast has not closed the transaction for NBC Universaland has no operational control at any of its properties including MSNBC. We pledged from the day the deal was announced that we would not interfere with NBCUniversal's news operations. We have not and we will not."

An MSNBC spokesman would not comment on the situation beyond the network'sstatement.

Comcast said back in November it had no role in the suspension or reinstatementof Olbermann.

"Comcast is not in any way involved with decisions made currently byNBC News," the company said in a statement in November. "We havepledged that when the transaction is concluded, Comcast will abide by the samepolicies for NBC's news and public affairs programming that have been in placesince GE acquired the company in 1986. Comcast is committed to the independenceof NBC's news operations."

MSNBC had to shuffle its lineup in the wake of Olbermann's exit, a move madeeasier by the emergence of Rachel Maddow and Lawrence O'Donnell as anchorswhose shows on some nights draw more viewers than Olbermann's programCountdown.

On Monday, The Last Word With Lawrence O'Donnell will move from 10 p.m. to 8 p.m.,with The Ed Show will move from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Countdown had been airing at 8-9p.m. The Rachel Maddow Show remains at 9 p.m. O'Donnell will repeat at 11 p.m.,replacing an Olbermann rebroadcast, and Cenk Uygur, MSNBC contributor andhost of Web show "The Young Turks," will fill in as host of the 6p.m. hour.

Olbermann helped MSNBC build viewership by taking on President George W. Bushand Fox News, attacking both with features such as "Worst Person In the World."He particularly went after Fox host Bill O'Reilly. The tension between the twohosts required high-level intervention from executives at both GE and Fox Newsparent News Corp.

Olbermann also created enemies inside and he was close to being fired a fewtimes in addition to the campaign contribution issue in November. In hisfarewell broadcast, he thanked a large number of people, but did not include eitherNBC News President Steve Capus or MSNBC boss Phil Griffin.

Of Olbermann's departure, Adam Green of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee said, "Keith Olbermann did real journalism and spoke truth to power during the Bush years when most reporters fell down on the job. For that, he is ahero to many Americans -- including the 300,000 people who signed ourBoldProgressives.org petition to put Keith back on the air last November." Olbermann had donated to two candidates endorsed by Green's PAC.

"A lot of people are trying to figure out if this was trulyvoluntary or not, with some noting that the Comcast-NBC merger wasapproved by President Obama's FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski just thisweek," Green added. "We'll see what develops. But regardless, Keith: Good night and good luck."